The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of selected school board members across the country regarding the quality and condition, maintenance, and improvement and renovation of existing public school facilities within their district. There were three research questions in this study. The first question examined how selected school board members perceived the quality and condition of existing public school facilities. The second question examined how they perceived the maintenance of these facilities. The third question examined what actions had been taken by the school boards of these selected members to address the improvement and renovation of these facilities. A descriptive research methodology was employed in this study. A nationwide stratified random sample had been selected to receive a coded mailed questionnaire consisting of twenty-one survey items, seven for each of the three research questions. The questionnaire included demographic information designed to allow the researcher to disaggregate the data received according to each of nine geographic regions throughout the country. Two follow-up mailings were made to non-respondents to increase the data collection return rate. Incomplete returns were not included in the data analysis. Frequency tables and descriptive statistics were constructed to display results with respect to each of the three research questions. The researcher found that the results of this study did not support significant recommendations that affirm findings in previous studies. Those findings described a continual pattern in the failure of school districts across the country to properly maintain the quality and condition, maintenance, and improvement and renovation of existing public school facilities. This study surveyed selected school board members nationally for the first time regarding their perceptions on these issues. / Ed. D.

After assembling the information gained from the kindergarten survey, the study then returned to the criteria set up at the beginning of the investigation, in order to appraise the extent to which the schools surveyed were meeting those standards. At that point the criteria were reviewed one by one and a judgment was rendered respecting each, based on the data presented earlier in this writing, as follows. / M.S.

The purpose of this study was to determine the planning, installation, and maintenance necessary for school buildings to support technology initiatives in two rural school divisions in Virginia. The research questions guiding this study were: (1) What short-term and/or long-term plans are put in place for building and maintaining facilities infrastructure to support technology initiatives? (2) What physical components, equipment, and personnel are necessary for adequate facilities infrastructure to support technology initiatives? (3) What are the perceived infrastructure barriers to effective integration of technology in a school building? This qualitative study used purposeful sampling. The interview participants selected for this study were division-level technology leaders and their technology staff. The participants taking part in this study were at various stages of their profession, and at differing years of service, within their respective school divisions. The findings of this study may help division superintendents and division-wide technology leaders make more informed decisions regarding school building needs to support technology initiatives. The findings from this study indicate there is no agreement for how to build and maintain school buildings to support technology initiatives. However, there are several barriers to successful implementation of technology initiatives. Findings also uncovered common themes for best practice in how to plan and implement for school buildings to support technology initiatives. / Ed. D.

The purpose of the study was to describe factors that make teachers feel safe in their classrooms and school buildings. An in-depth exploration of contributing factors to feelings of safety for teachers will assist the field of education when planning facilities and preparing current and future school administrators in leading schools with a healthy and safe climate for teachers. For this study, the researcher surveyed all teaching personnel in a school division which was a total of 133 full-time, fully licensed teachers employed by a rural school division in Southside Virginia. A survey instrument with both quantitative and open ended questions was developed to investigate perceptions of safety in participants' responses regarding the physical characteristics of school buildings and classrooms, the influence of colleague relationships, and administrative practices and school division policies that influence teachers' feelings of safety. The quantitative survey questions utilized a Likert-scale format for participants to indicate degrees of agreement with statements with responses that ranged from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The opened ended questions provided for qualitative investigation by allowing participants to provide answers in their own words regarding the four research sub-questions. Findings from the study indicated that teachers in the study generally felt safe in their schools. Teachers indicated perceiving that the greatest violence risk was posed by outside intruders and concern for safety was not generally caused by student behavior. Teachers' perceptions of safety were influenced by the presence of a resource officer in their school building, locked exterior doors, the use of surveillance cameras, the presence of a supportive and visible school principal, and the support of their teacher colleagues. / Ed. D.

This dissertation examined the possible influence a complete renovation of a school facility had on student achievement as measured by performance on the Standards of Learning (SOL) in the areas of End-of-Course (EOC) Algebra I and EOC Reading in high schools within the Commonwealth of Virginia. This study replicated a prior study that researched the possible influence the complete renovation process had on student achievement as measured by performance on the SOL in the areas of mathematics and reading at the eighth grade level in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For this study, a quantitative descriptive research methodology was used to determine the possible influences the renovation process would have on student achievement. To conduct such research, SOL scores in the areas of EOC Algebra I and EOC Reading, from high schools in Virginia were used one year prior to the renovation, during the renovation, and one year after the renovation. The Virginia Department of Education recorded 514 school construction projects during the period beginning with the 2004-2005 school year through the 2010-2011 school year. From these 514 projects, only 20 projects met the criteria of being high school construction projects having conducted a complete renovation. In order to determine stability of the student population and the quality of teachers across the renovation period, an analysis of demographic variables was conducted. These variables included the percentage of minority students, socioeconomic status, and percentage of highly qualified teachers. No statistical significance between the variables over the course of the renovation was found establishing sameness of these variables. ANOVAs and t-tests were conducted to analyze student achievement across the renovation periods. The findings of the 20 high schools identified as having conducted a complete renovation were not statistically significant when comparing the EOC Algebra I and EOC Reading student performance to each stage of the renovation process. However, a positive trend was indicated when findings revealed an increase in the mean scaled score of mathematics when comparing the pre-renovation stage to the post-renovation stage. / Ed. D.

The purpose of the study was to determine whether or not a variance in the quality of the public high school facilities existed among the Commonwealth of Virginia school divisions, since the 1982 Peccia study, An Analysis Of The Financing Of Public High School Capital Facilities In Virginia. Reasons for the variance in the quality of the public high school facilities, if any, were determined from an examination of a capital facilities survey instrument and various economic and financial characteristics. Methods and procedures used in the study included the capital facilities survey instrument, Crossman CAFIS. The Crossman CAFIS accurately reflected not just the number of facilities that existed in the school divisions but the quality of each facility. The researcher sent an electronic survey instrument to each high school principal within the sampled school divisions to rate their facilities using 75 indicators. The researcher visited all the high schools within the study in order to ensure the variance in how one perceives the differences in facilities would be limited. Any variance in the quality of the public high school facilities among the sampled school divisions were examined for economic factors that include; local composite index, fiscal effort and fiscal capacity. A significant finding of the study was that a large variance existed between the quality of high school facilities within the sampled school divisions, as measured by Crossman CAFIS. Reasons for that variance can be partially attributed to the fiscal effort of the sampled school divisions. School divisions that made a large fiscal effort and had a large fiscal capacity scored high on the Crossman CAFIS. School divisions that made a low fiscal effort and had low fiscal capacity, also scored low on the Crossman CAFIS. The lowest quality of high school facilities were found to be in the Western region of Virginia, despite isolated instances of high fiscal effort by some school divisions. Implications and recommendations were made in accordance with the findings of the study. A large variance existed in the Virginia school divisions between the quality of high school facilities as measured by CAFIS. The reason for the variance in high school facilities were due in part to the level of fiscal effort exerted by the school divisions. / EDD

This study is a synthesis of the research since 1980 pertaining to the relationships between school facilities and student achievement and school facilities and student behavior. A matrix was developed relevant to the research. This matrix was used to identify not only the researchers and the areas in which the research was conducted, but also the areas in which there was no available research. The former is important to the educator and school designer; the latter is essential for future researchers. Fifty-three studies were synthesized that included the independent variables of noise, facility age, color, lighting, maintenance, density, climate conditions, and classroom structure. From the research reviewed, educators and designers should consider the impact of building condition, lighting, and site noise when planning, remodeling, designing, or maintaining schools, as there was conclusive evidence that the effects of these three variables on student achievement and behavior were significant. Although not conclusive, data from the studies indicated that all of the independent variables affected the dependent variables of student achievement and behavior. These findings, along with the findings from syntheses completed in 1979 and 1982, indicate that building condition is directly related to student achievement and behavior. The literature supported that the resultant attitudes and behaviors of students improved when the facility improved or was congruous with the facility needs for the instructional program. A theoretical model was discussed that was developed by Cash (1993) and substantiated in the research of Earthman (1995), Hines (1996), and this synthesis. Using the model and the knowledge base developed by this and previous syntheses enables designers to build facilities with research-based designs and gives impetus to educators to strive to maintain facilities at the highest level possible. Even when the variance of the building environment was minimal, it was a portion of the elements affecting behavior and achievement that could be controlled through the efforts of educators and design professionals. In addition, it is a very visible demonstration or value statement made to the student of the importance that society or the community places on education. / Ed. D.

This thesis project compares the performance of a homogeneous sample of United States Navy Bachelor Enlisted Quarters built using the Military Construction process. Projects will be broken into two sub-samples of design/bid/build and design/build projects to see if one project delivery method is superior in regards to time and cost. Project duration, project duration per bed, project time growth, cost growth and cost per bed will be statistically compared. Upon completion of the analysis the hypothesis that design/build projects are superior to design/bid/build projects in regards to time and cost will be tested. / Contract number: N62271-97-G-0073.

The intent of this thesis is to increase local government and bicycle advocacy awareness of the importance of end of trip facilities in a transportation network, primarily bicycle parking. The research was motivated by a debate about the worthiness of bicycle parking as an advocacy objective. The thesis begins by reviewing existing end of trip facility research and projects at a national scope. Two surveys were conducted, the first identifies how advocates prioritize bicycle parking as an advocacy objective and the second determines how cyclists in New Orleans perceive bicycle parking. At the most narrow geographic scope an observation of bicycle parking patterns is completed on Magazine Street in New Orleans. The thesis finds that bicyclists desire bicycle parking and that bicycle parking facilities can mitigate chaotic bicycle parking patterns that may interfere with pedestrians. Recommendations are offered for bicycle advocates, local governments, and the City of New Orleans.

Ma Yu Cheung. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 1997-98, design report." / Final Design Solutions --- p.p.0.0-0.6 / Site And Vehicular Circulations --- p.p.1.1 / Site And Views --- p.p.1.2 / "Site, Service And Carpark" --- p.p.2 / Horizontal Circulation And Security --- p.p.3 / Horizontal Circulation --- p.p.4 / Design Option --- p.p.4-5 / Zoning Design Option --- p.p.5-6 / Vertical Zoning Design Option --- p.p.6-8 / Cross Section Zoning Design Option --- p.p.8-9 / Final Zoning Design --- p.p.9-10 / "Lighting, Daylight And Shading" --- p.p.11-14 / Natural Ventilation And HVAC --- p.p.15-16 / Acoustics --- p.p.17 / Plumbing And Drainage --- p.p.18 / Power --- p.p.19 / Means Of Escape --- p.p.20 / Fire Engineering --- p.p.21-22 / Compartmentation --- p.p.23 / Firefighting Installation --- p.p.24 / Structure --- p.p.25-28 / External Skin --- p.p.29-30 / Construction Sequency --- p.p.31-33 / Maintenance --- p.p.33